ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. band — a ring
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — to go on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. band — a music group
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com